Poetry Partners #128
Pat Schneider: ‘The Patience of Ordinary things’
‘Four Points of Departure (senryū inspired by excerpts from ‘The Patience of Ordinary Things’ by Pat Schneider)’, a poem by Stephanie Malley of ‘serendippitysays’
i. How the cup holds the tea
a test of patience
to spend all your days drinking
hot tea from cupped hands
ii. [S]oap dries quietly in the dish
soap so (meek and) mild
it won’t take offense if you
use the liquid kind
iii. [T]he lovely repetition of stairs
the eye registers
the repetition of stairs
breath slows step by step
iv. [W]hat is more generous than a window?
no argument here
as it’s abundantly clear
they welcome all views
- serendippitysays: https://serendippity.home.blog/
‘Three Points of Departure (shadorma inspired by excerpts from ‘The Patience of Ordinary Things’ by Pat Schneider)’, a poem by ben Alexander of ‘The Skeptic’s Kaddish’
i. [T]he chair stands sturdy and foursquare
seat cushions
long since unscrewed; wood
glue binds legs
to splitting
frames; nails scrape floor tiles; crumbled
chair glides lost to time
ii. [C]lothes wait respectfully in closets
okay, so,
maybe this old dress,
but the rest
simply must
go; toss everything into
those cardboard boxes
iii. [T]owels drink the wet from the skin of the back
double bath
bomb, steaming water;
cheek against
knees, trembling;
pervasive old-memories
smells all-consuming
Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
List of Poetry Partners
- Murisopsis
- Judy Dykstra-Brown
- Jennifer Patino
- Mike L. Utley
- Barbara Schaefer
- Ron Rowland
- Cheyenne MacMasters
- Rae Cod
- Eric Erb
- Chris Reilley
- Jim-
- Selma Martin
- Vidah (Chavi)
- varityteller
- Veera
- Kunjal Gupta
- Coco
- Lov Verma
- bodypositivefemme
- Steven S. Wallace
- Shay Simmons
- Constance Bourg
- C. L. Barton
- Madamchryzl
- Sangeetha
- Jo
- Audrey Duff
- Gillena Cox
- Yasmin
- Martha Anewa
- Malalai Khan
- Adam Taylor
- trE
- Cindy Georgakas
- Punam
- davidatqcm
- Orion Foote
- Susi Bocks
- Mister Bump UK
- Kate Blake
- Freddie Omm
- kittysverses
- enchantedwords
- Saint Gaona
- Alan Steinle
- Karina Lutz
- Sarah David
- Beka Tucker
- Maria L. Berg
- Colleen M. Chesebro
- Jane Aguiar
- Jan Beekman
- royalpalmtree
- Marian
- M Jay Dixit
- Ken Hume
- Naa Lamiorkor Boye
- Reena Saxena
- Bridget
- Ash Evan Lippert
- Freya Pickard
- Harshi
- LaMon Brown
- Nomad
- Vedran Markovic
- The.Richard.Braxton
- Kim Whysall-Hammond
- Jeff Flesch
- hutschi
- Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
- Anca
- douryeh
- enchantedwords
- Kerfe
- Puvanesvari Rajan
- MistyBlue
- Henry Mworia
- Anna Smit
- Larry Trasciatti
- Sarah Cope
- Filipa Moreira da Cruz
- Robert J. Jr.
- Rosemary McMahan
- Iswar Kar
- Mapule Somo
- Anne Morrigan
- George Ellington
- J. P.
- Christine Bialczak
- Shalini Kathuria Narang
- LaToya Williams
- Maitreyee Telang
- Amelia Michelle Nicol
- A. J. Wilson
- Nick Pipitone
- Myrna Migala
- Kathy Labrum McVittie
- Dawn Pisturino
- Eugenia
- Tea Solon
- Marion Horton
- Hassan Safdar
- Grace Y. Estevez – Reddy
- Eileen Backman
- Suzette Benjamin
- Candace
- Tarlie Francis
- Aishwarya Kannan
- Michaël
- Mary Anne Abdo
- Benjamin Nambu
- Scotti Woolery-Price
- Ara
- Sean Matthews
- Joy A. Burki-Watson
- Mike L. Utley
- Hadizat Motherconfessor
- Murisopsis
- Cindy Georgakas
- Swathi Rao
- Filipa Moreira da Cruz
- Di
- Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
- Christine Bialczak
- Rob Kistner
- Michaël
- Sarah Cope
- Stephanie Malley
- musingsbymac
- Verne Ivars Krastins
- Brandon Ellrich
- Tallisman
- kalabalu
- Kunjal Gupta
- Malalai Khan
- Mary Anne Abdo
- M. Snyder
- Sherry Lens
- Barbara Dean Aliaga
- Devine Success
- Veera
- Maria Pavlova
- Kevin L. Perrin
- Alex Budris
- Wm. “Mark” Parry
- Rayla
- Rayla
- Artem Miachin
- Jeff Lee
- Artem Miachin
- Tanmay Philip
- Dee
- Tricia Sankey
- Cassa Bassa
- 3L
- Charles
- WickedLizzie
- L. M. Montes
- Marsha Ingrao
- WickedLizzie
- Jan Beekman
- Neha Singh
- Kaci Rigney
Wonderful presentation! Pat’s reading and the weaving of poetic lines. 💞
💘🙏🏻 Michele 🙏🏻💘
Fascinating look at ordinary items.
Shabbat Shalom, David.
💛🙏🏻 Dolly 🙏🏻💛
These are both wonderful reflections of the original poem and original reflections on everyday life!
🤍🙏🏻 Muri 🙏🏻🤍
What is more generous than a window?–great question, great answer. I love all of these little snippets of life. (K)
🤎🙏🏻 Kerfe 🙏🏻🤎
Love both set of poems David
💙🙏🏻 Sadje 🙏🏻💙
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼